


Nine Rings of Vos: Glossary

by Sanjuno



Series: Nine Rings of Vos: The Epic Seeker Saga [3]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: For Fun and Profit, Gen, Glossary of Terms, Growth Stages, Math, Time Units, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-03
Updated: 2017-08-03
Packaged: 2018-12-10 16:33:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11695581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanjuno/pseuds/Sanjuno
Summary: Cybertronians are an alien culture comprised of sentient machines and that means they don't speak 'Human' as their first language.Hopefully, this helpful guide will assist anyone confused by the Cybertronian vocabulary liberally utilized in the narrative of Nine Rings.Note: This is basically a dictionary page, not a story update.





	Nine Rings of Vos: Glossary

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this is comprehensive enough.

Nine Rings of Vos Glossary

**_Vosian/Cybertronian Terminology_**  
  
1\. **Austru:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Flightless Seeker adaptation of the ‘Contrastes’ build set; primarily used by Flightless with enhanced chemoreceptor and tracking abilities.  
  
2\. **Bond:**  
a. _Cybertronian; adj._ A link between the sparks of two or more Cybertronians. (See: Sparkbond)  
i. Not automatically romantic in nature.  
b. **Bonding:** _Cybertronian; v._ The act of establishing a spark-to-spark link between two or more Cybertronians.  
  
3\. **Bondkin:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ A direct bonded platonic relationship (not to be confused with “bondmate”). Such as brother to brother, or creator to creation. Imprinted relationships also count as bondkindred.   
i. Starscream is bondkin to Sunstorm, Soundwave is bondkin to Ravage, and Skywarp is bondkin to Rumble and Frenzy.   
b. Human equivalent would be “blood relative” or “blood brother”.  
  
4\. **Bondmate:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ One whose spark you chose to link yours with in a romantic manner. Translates as “Most Beloved”  
  
5\. **Caretaker:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ An adult Cybertronian who has taken responsibility for the care and rearing of a juvenile Cybertronian.  
  
6\. **Chinook:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Seeker model engineered for high atmosphere and void fighting; primarily used by those with projectile destructive talents.  
  
7\. **Claimant:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ Referring to one who has had a Seeker declare a desire to bond. No other Seeker, excepting the trinemate(s) of the claiming Seeker, will approach the Claimant with romantic intent until the claiming Seeker retracts the claim or is rejected outright by the Claimant.  
  
8\. **Codex, The:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A dominant spark-code found only in Seekers. Passed down as heritage data to all creations and incorporated into most aspects of Seeker custom.  
i. _“Family comes first, then the Trine, all Trines are Family.”_  
  
9\. **Contrastes:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Seeker flight model intended for use by those with enhanced sensory perception; a build intended for manoeuvring over speed; VTOL; Primarily used by Seekers with psionic branch talents.  
  
10\. **Creator:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ Form of address from juvenile creation to the one who produced their shell, spark or codes. Use implies degree of closeness in relationship. Can be shortened to ‘Tor’.  
  
11\. **Etesian:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Seeker flight model engineered for melee combat and agility.  
  
12\. **Ethian:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Flightless Seeker model adapted from the ‘Etesian’ build set.  
  
13\. **Euraquilo:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Flightless Seeker model adapted from the ‘Euroclydon’ build set.  
  
14\. **Euroclydon:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Seeker flight model engineered for high speeds and manoeuvrability; primarily used only by the best flyers.  
  
15\. **Euros:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Seeker flight model engineered for long range accuracy; primarily used by those with long range talents.  
  
16\. **Fledgling:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ In Seekers, the advanced battle protocols and true flight systems are the last to develop. Young Seekers who have reached this stage in their development are called Fledglings. This term is not used outside of Seeker communities.  
  
17\. **Flightless:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Seeker without flight programs or trine protocols. In essence a ‘Seeker who does not fly’, but still contains the Codex embedded within their programming.  
  
18\. **Foehen:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Flightless Seeker model adaptation of the ‘Chinook’ build set.  
  
19\. **Formatter:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ The Creator which provides a partial source-code for a newspark and carries the infant spark until detachment and integration into the initial protoform. In multi-caretaker family units, the Formatter is (usually) always to one to aid during the post-upgrade adjustment period. Can be shortened to ‘Matter’ by the less formal or more affectionate.  
  
20\. **Framekin:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ Used to imply a small degree of relation; same base model type.   
i. Contrastes to Contrastes or Zephyr to Zephyros, but not for Vardar to Gregale.   
ii. Tank to tank or triple-changer to triple-changer, but not from Datsun to Porsche.  
b. English equivalent would be “Cousin” (used in the no relation sense) or “Comrade”.  
  
21\. **Genitor:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ A mech Creator which provides a partial source-code for a newspark. Can be shortened to ‘Tor’.  
  
22\. **Genitrix:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ A femme Creator which provides a partial source-code for a newspark. Can be shortened to ‘Trix’.  
  
23\. **Grigale:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Seeker flight model engineered for heavy ordinance; the Grigale shell has thicker armour and tends to have wider wings than other build sets; primarily used by front-liners.  
  
24\. **Gregale:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Flightless Seeker model adapted from the ‘Grigale’ build set.  
  
25\. **Hatchling:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ The secondary stage of growth used to describe a sparkling whose armour and secondary systems have begun to develop.  
b. This term is rarely used by ground based mechs and finds its origins in Vos. Mostly used by aquatic or flight models.  
  
26\. **Imprintee:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ A juvenile Cybertronian who forms a creation-bond with an adult Cybertronian through wilful intent on one or both parts.  
b. Translates as “Foster child”.  
  
27\. **Imprinter:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ A caretaker who forms a creation-bond with a juvenile through wilful intent on one or both parts, or a caretaker who acts as Formatter during or after a period of stress for the juvenile.   
b. Translates as “Foster parent”.  
  
28\. **Imprinting:**  
a. _Cybertronian; v._ When the spark energies of an adult and a juvenile Cybertronian synchronize, a creation bond is established between previously unrelated sparks. Small amounts of the caretaker’s source code are absorbed by the juvenile and small changes in identifying features such as facial configuration, voice, or colouration are likely to occur. Despite rumours to the contrary, Imprinting cannot happen by accident and must be a deliberate, if subconscious, choice that is accepted by both sides of the bond.  
  
29\. **Land-skimmer:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Seeker with a code mutation caused by forced spark mergers between an untrined Skyborn Seeker and a non-Seeker which leaves the resultant offspring without flight programs but retaining the trine compulsion.  
  
30\. **Matter:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ See 'Formatter'.  
  
31\. **Meltemi:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Flightless Seeker model adapted from the ‘Euros’ build set; primarily used by snipers.  
  
32\. **Newspark:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ A young spark created through the merging of two adult sparks, usually bondmates, that is incapable of surviving without the support of the carriers spark.   
  
33\. **Protoform:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ The basic frame for all Cybertronians. Made of “living metal” which adapts according to the codes and energy supplied by the spark of an individual. Juvenile protoforms are meant to adapt and grow in accordance to the spark growth of the young spark. Transformation capabilities and integrated systems are determined by individual spark strength. Nano-machine systems harvest and utilise spare metals to maintain shell integrity and self-repair damages on a level similar to human cellular activity.  
  
34\. **Scraplet:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ A kind of small Cybertronian parasite which deteriorates body shell integrity and interferes with system functions.  
b. Diminutive form of address. _Lit._ “(little) pest”.   
  
35\. **Seeker:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ A Cybertronian war build set that originates from Vos.  
b. _Slang_ ; Over the course of the Great War 'Seeker' has come to be used for any Decepticon with a flight alternate mode.  
  
36\. **Skimmer:**  
a. See: 'Land-skimmer'  
  
37\. **Skyborn:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A term used to define a Seeker with both flight programs and trine protocols.  
  
38\. **Spark Invariance**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ A medical condition where two sparks are too similar in frequency to produce offspring together. The similarities in spark signatures results in any would-be newspark being unable to maintain field cohesion due to being near identical to the parent spark. Any results from a spark-merge between a pair with spark invariation are inevitably reabsorbed by the carrier within ten cycles of creation. Spark Invariation is most commonly found in small populations with little outside contact such as mining colonies, or when co-creations choose to bond one another. Spark Invariation is why twins cannot propagate with one another.  
  
39\. **Sparkbond:**  
a. _Cybertronian; adj._ A psychic link between the sparks of two or more Cybertronians. Capable of transmitting emotions, images and concepts, but only limited structured speech.  
b. Usually seen as a romantic gesture of devotion, though sparkbonds also exist between creators to creations and sibling to sibling.  
c. _Cybertronian; verb._ Sparkbonding: The act of purposely binding ones spark to another’s spark; primarily a romantic act.  
  
39\. **Sparklet:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ An affectionate diminutive used to address juvenile Cybertronians.  
b. _Lit._ “Little Spark”   
  
40\. **Sparkling:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ An infant Cybertronian, lacking armour, the ability to transform, speech protocols or higher processing power. Sparklings require constant care until their spark strengthens enough to support more than basic ‘instinctual’ systems.  
  
41\. **Tor:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ See: 'Creator' or 'Genitor'.  
  
42\. **Trinemate:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A more formal address that still retains affection.   
i. Translates as “Husband”, “Wife” or “Spouse”.  
  
43\. **Trix:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ See: 'Genitrix'.  
  
44\. **Vardar:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Seeker flight model engineered for storm flying and anti-turbulence; primarily used by those with atmospheric affecting talents.  
  
45\. **Vardarac:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Flightless Seeker model adapted from the ‘Vardar’ build set.  
  
46\. **Windbond:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A very low-level empathic web of bonds which link all Seekers into one ‘family’.  
  
47\. **Windkin:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ Used by any Seeker to refer to any other Seeker. A form of address normally used prior to introductions or in situations where name-basis conversation is unfeasible.   
b. English equivalents would be “Countryman” or “Friend”.  
  
48\. **Wingkin:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ Used to imply a second-degree bond relation. Used in regards to a mech who is bonded to one you are also bonded to. Such as your bondmate’s brother’s creations.   
i. Sunstorm is wingkin to Starscream’s offspring through the sibling-bond he shares with Starscream, but has no direct bond with the sparklings himself.   
b. Human equivalent would be “family member” (uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, grandparent, grandchildren, and cousin.)  
  
49\. **Winglet:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ An affectionate diminutive used to address juvenile Seekers.  
b. _Lit._ “Little Wings”   
  
50\. **Winglord:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ The overall ruler of the Seekers, usually a trine, but there have been cases where the Winglord seat has been shared among Seekers from different trines as well as being held by Flightless. The reason for this is that only a Skyborn Trine of Winglords is capable of accessing the true nature of the windbond, which grants the Winglord trine the ability to command love, loyalty and instant obedience from all the Seekers within the windbond. Vosian mythos states that a certain strength of spark is needed to be Winglord, which is true, and that Primus sends a Winglord Trine when the Seekers have need of one, which is less provable.  
  
51\. **Wingmate:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ Term of endearment meant to imply a committed relationship between Seekers.   
i. Translates as “Dear friend” or “brother”.  
  
52\. **Youngling:**  
a. _Cybertronian; n._ A young Cybertronian that has not yet reached maturity but is now capable of integrating transformation systems and learning a trade.  
b. For Seekers, the stage at which thrusters and flight systems finish integrating and true flight becomes possible.  
  
53\. **Zephyr:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Seeker flight model engineered for stealth; primarily used by covert operatives, scouts, and spies.  
  
54\. **Zephyros:**  
a. _Vosian; n._ A Flightless Seeker model adapted from the ‘Zephyr’ build set.  
  
=/=  
  
And just to keep everything in one post, here are the time units again. Please note that Cybertronians operate on a base 16 counting system. Humans operate on base 10.  
  
klick = 0.2 seconds  
megaklick = 10.3 seconds  
breem = 8.262 minutes  
cycle = 6.6 hours  
megacycle = 13.2 days  
orn = 1.74 years  
vorn = 83.4 years  
megavorn = 40.1 centuries  
  
48 klicks = 1 megaklick  
48 megaklicks = 1 breem  
48 breems = 1 cycle  
48 cycles = 1 megacycle  
48 megacycles = 1 orn  
48 orns = 1 vorn  
48 vorns = 1 megavorn  
  
=/=

Well, in canon the only "child" Cybertronian we see is Wheelie. The little orange rhyming guy from G1. Anyway, Wheelie would be what fans term a "youngling" when he's discovered in original TF:TM, (or as some would say, the beginning of season 3) Daniel is about 12 when he first meets Wheelie. In the Wreakers universe, Daniel is somewhere in his 20's when he and Wheelie die fighting a Nightbird army, and at this stage Wheelie also seems to have become a young adult.   
  
So let's say that it's taken approx. 10 years for Wheelie to go from "youngling" to "adult". This translates into about 6 orns. Now we don't know how long Wheelie was stuck on Quintessa, or if he was ever able to upgrade while he was there. But that means that logically we'd add more time to Wheelie's growth. So more than 10 years is needed for a TF to "grow up". (Not counting the bots created as adults i.e. the Dinobots and Arielbots, etc. But they seem to have the maturity of teenagers, even if they are treated as full adults. This is an interesting point to consider.)  
  
Back to the math. I've basically created three "phases" of growth for the TFs; sparkling, youngling, adult. Seekers and aquatic builds are specialized and have two sub phases; hatchling for older sparklings and fledgling for older younglings. The way I've calculated it, TFs work in prime numbers. Those being 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, and 13. Or multiples of 3, such as 6, 9 and 12. With that in mind, I've decided that gestation of a newspark takes between 2 and 3 orns. Skyborn Seekers average 3 orns (5.22 years) and Outsiders average 2 orns (3.48 years), with Flightless and Landskimmer Seekers falling somewhere in the middle of 2.5 and 3 orns due to the slightly denser nature of their sparks.   
  
So we say it takes more than 6 orns to go through each phase, and take into consideration the numerical theology already identified in TF canon. That being said, I decided that it takes a vorn (83.4 years) for a Cybertronian to complete a growth phase. Within each phase are 12 stages, and each stage lasts 4 orns (6.96 years) So Cybertronians are sparklings in their 1st vorn, and younglings in their 2nd vorn, and adults after they reach their 3rd vorn. Seekers call sparklings over their 6th stage (at which they develop rudimentary flight systems) hatchlings, and younglings are considered fledglings once they begin to develop their battle protocols.

To summarize:

Growth Stage/Build Type = Time

| 

Separation Occurs at:

| 

Sparkling Phase

| 

Stage 6+

| 

Youngling

Phase

| 

Stage 6+

| 

Integration/Student Phase

| 

Adult Phase  
  
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---  
  
2 – 3 orns after kindling

| 

1-12 Stage

 

| 

Hatchling Phase

| 

4 orn per stage

| 

Fledgling Phase

| 

Academy/Trade Schooling

| 

 Journeyman/

Mastery  
  
**Author's Note:**

> If there are any further questions regarding vocabulary, vernacular, culture, or theology, please do not hesitate to drop me a line and ask me a clarifying question.


End file.
